This is the video for 'You've Got The Love' by Florence And The Machine. Although this video is performance based, elements of a motif are incorporated. There is a theme throughout of night time, and the sky, which is identified in many different ways. Obvious representations of this theme include the giant sparkly Moon she is performing on, and the use of the stars footage to end the video, but there are lots of more sublte references to it. Her costume features a nude coloured leotard sprinkled with sequins, which look like stars, and use of lighting is cleverly done in a style to make the spotlights look as if stars are shining down on the artist performing. I really like the uplifting, enjoyable mood of this video, the use of lighting and props make it contempory and interesting, but the costume for the artist, and the people dancing below are obviously vintage and retro inspired. Overall, the use of quirky and kooky colour schemes, costumes, props and lighting reflect the individuality of the image constructed of the artist and would appeal to the target audience as it shows ways of being unique and creative to create a stong sense of empowering femininity. If I decide to go ahead with the star motif, I think I could take inspiration from the lighting used in this video, as the spotlights are used to achieve the look of stars against a night sky, and the props used, such as the falling confetti, which highlight the motif throughout.
Thursday, 24 March 2011
Ellie Goulding- 'Starry Eyed'
This is the video for 'Starry Eyed' by Ellie Goulding. I was looking for music videos of artists similar to Sarah Holmed, which feature a motif when I discovered this one which uses a star, like I had considered doing. The motif is not used the whole way through this video- and is often seen just at the points when the lyric 'Starry Eyed' is repeated. It is incorporated by the use of star shaped sequins all over her palms, and the use of superimposed footage over the top of her performing. I think that these techniques of incorporating a motif are effective in this video, except I think it could have been used in other parts of the video, as using it alongside the lyric 'Starry Eyed' appears a little obvious and naive. I think it could have featured in the other performance scenes of the video without looking overused and obvious. When applying a motif to my video, I think I need to take into account that it should be used enough to be noticed, but at the right times in the song, and not too much as though it appears obvious and over thought. Ellie Goulding and this song are more in the Pop genre, and I think that the overall of effects used here (such as Chroma Key Green Screening) could be too high budget looking for my video, although I could use this technology (in Final Cut Express) I think that due to a convention of Indie being the 'low budget look' this could be too modern looking as an effect.
Star Motif?
I am considering using a motif in my music video of a star. From looking at the lyrics for the song, I think a star as a motif would be effective a increasing relevance linking between the video footage and the lyrics. There are many aspects of mise-en-scene that we could use to incorporate the motif. However, obvious motifs are not hugely used by artists of this genre, so I will have to decide whether to use or challenge this convention.
Costume.
I could use star print clothing items to incorporate this theme into my video. From previous research, I have picked up on the fact a convention of this genre is unique, retro and vintage inspired clothing, which adds to the creative and individual image constructed for the artists.
Costume.
I could use star print clothing items to incorporate this theme into my video. From previous research, I have picked up on the fact a convention of this genre is unique, retro and vintage inspired clothing, which adds to the creative and individual image constructed for the artists.
Make Up.
The use of make up in my video could be key in determining the look we are constructing for the artist. Make up is an easy way of establishing a particular image, natural pallettes would create an entirely different look to vibrant clashing ones, and retro-inspired make up could emphasize the creativity of the artist which is reflected in the clothing choices and music.
This image from Cosmetics Box uses bright vibrant shades to create a clashing, youthful look. I do not think this style of make up would be appropriate for my artist, because it is not a particularly retro-inspired look. The use of the star motif in this image could however be used in my video as it is obvious to the audience enough, without being naive-looking, or a more subtle use of a star like this could be used.
Another way I could use make up to emphasize the star motif in my video could be through the use of tattoos. Many female singer/songwriters and artists have tattoos on show in their videos or promotional material, as it helps to add to the 'girl power' ephos they stand for, and emphasize their creativity and youthfulness.
Props.
Another way I could incorporate a star motif into my video is through the use of props. The image below from Moonbed is a hanging star decoration featuring small lights. I could use multiple decorations like this, hanging in clusters above the artist to create a unique looking setting to perform in. I think use of props like this would be extremely effective in my video as they would reflect the lyrics well, and would be versatile in what I did with them, for example, we could feature them falling, or moving to add animation and movement to the video.
Sarah Holmes 'Excuses' Lyrics.
Here are the full lyrics to the song I am using for my music video:
I've lost the use of speech,
so I will sing for you instead,
I know that look in your eyes,
counts for nothing, against me.
'Cause you said there would be fire,
when I was caught up in your head,
but I refused to play your game,
so I left for home instead.
But the scars are just stars,
That you burnt, and you hurt,
When you said all of those things, that you
Say you didn't mean.
But you lie when you're looking at me...
And it goes,
Meaningless, won't count for this,
Won't make enough excuses.
Talk for this, I won't stand for this,
Can't handle your excuses.
If I had to draw the line,
I would make it all worth while,
I would get something from this,
if it would help me figure out.
But when your cannon fired,
you took my plastic soldiers out,
if I knew you'd shoot your gun,
maybe I'd put your fire out
But the scars are just stars,
That you burnt, and you hurt,
When you said all of those things, that you
Say you didn't mean.
But you lie when you're looking at me...
And it goes,
Meaningless, won't count for this,
Won't make enough excuses.
Talk for this, I won't stand for this,
Can't handle your excuses.
If happiness was served on a plate,
You would've had it long ago.
But you couldn't find your own,
So you took all mine instead...
But the scars are just stars,
That you burnt, and you hurt,
When you said all of those things, that you
Say you didn't mean.
But you lie when you're looking at me...
'Excuses' Ideas.
Here are two spider diagrams of ideas, that me and a friend wrote down when listening to the song I am using for my video, I think this technique was effective as it made me think about the song in terms if an overall finished product.
Location Ideas.
Below are screenshots from various music videos by similar artists to Sarah Holmes:
This shot uses contrast between the artist and the location to make her stand out. The location is an outside setting, with a stone wall covered in feminine, pink roses in the background. The use of this setting tones the sexual themes down in the video and adds a sense of girlyness and innocence. This appeals to the target audience of this artist as many of them are young girls (below 18) who look up to the artist as a positive role model, so she would not want to be accused of glamourising sexual themes to such a young audience. However, the sexual nature of parts of this video, including the costumes seen in this shot appeal to the older female members and male members of her target audience, because they enjoy watching her dressing and acting in this way.
In this shot, the band members are seen singing the song, whilst sitting on a bench. The outside, night time, location reflects the lyrics 'beneath the milky twilight' which is sung throughout. The use of this location and the way in which it reflects the lyrics adds relevance to the video and the song, as they fit together so well. I think this technique is something I could potentially look into to use in my video as it adds a sense of narrative which appeals to the audience as it increases their understanding of the lyrics.
Performance is a key part in this video, the location we see here is similar to that the whole way through the video. The dark background allows the main focus to be on the artist throughout, by contrasting with the lighting on her, and her pale skin. I think I could use a similar location to that in this video in mine because it allows the artist and the music to 'speak for itself' and stand out, without too much confusion or fussiness in the background.
In this shot we see the artist performing from inside a retro-style caravan. The use of vintage and retro-inspired clothing, locations and props is a popular convention in female singer/songwriters because it makes them appear individual and creative, which reflects their music. I think I could take inspiration from some of the vintage and retro style things I see in other music videos to give my artist a sense of creativity and uniqueness.
This video, like the previous one by KT Tunstall, focuses on performance as opposed to a strong narrative. The location used appears to be a type of dance hall, with strong lighting to emphasize the artist performing in the centre. Again, this video has a retro style to it, due to the muted colour scheme and styling of the artist, which reflects her vocal style which is often compared to that of Dusty Springfield.
Again in this video, retro and vintage-inspired themes play a huge role in the overall style of the video. This reflects the quirky and individual lyrics and musical score of the song as well as the personal style which has been created for the artist (Dyer's theory states that an artist is constructed in a particular way to appeal to the audience, this retro style makes the audience believe the artist is genuinely unique and creative in her style). I think this quirkiness and individual sense of style would be good to look into for my music video as it would highlight the creativity of our artist, which would appeal to the audience.
Star Theory & Construction of Image.
Dyer's Star Theory proposes that:
I believe that this is particularly true in Music and Music Video, as you are not just creating a Video, you have to contruct an artist's brand (a good example of this is Lady Gaga, as her image is obviously constructed to put across her creative ephos to the consumers, but it is constructed constantly, you never see her out of one of her over-the-top creative outfits. In her case, if she became her creative alter ego on stage, then spent the rest of her time dressed casually, the media would pick up on this, and she would appear fake.) In the Indie genre, artists typically look casual and unaffected by current fashion trends, however, it could be questionned that by dressing in a non constructed way, artists of this genre are just as much creating a constructed look. This could also be applied to the image of some of the videos in this genre, as often they have a 'low budget look' when actually a huge amount of money has been spent on the video to make it look cheap.
Katy Perry- 'I Kissed A Girl'.
Below are screen shots from the video for 'I Kissed A Girl' By Katy Perry
In this first shot, we see a close up of the artists' legs laying on a bed. From the beginning of the video, the artist is sexualised to the audience, with close up shots of parts of her body. This would appeal to the male audience viewers, who enjoy looking at her body, but also to the female audience members who look up to her, and aspire to look or be like her. The use of the muted shades create a girly and innocent feel to the shot, which is later contrasted.
In this shot, we again see the artist lying on bed, which immediately creates a sexual atmosphere. The muted shades seen before are now contrasted with her dark hair and the red cushions, which again add to the sexual feel of the video. The use of the toy bunny as a prop in the bed brings out the girly, playful and innocent side to the video and the artist. This ensures that the video is not entirely sexual, but remains with a innocent side to make it appeal to the younger viewers.
In this close up shot of the artist's face, the use of sight lines create a flirty and sexual mood. Throughout the video there are countless shots of the artist looking directly to the camera. The effect of this is that the audience becomes drawn into the video, and are made to feel like it is them she is singing to.
This shot is contrasted to the earlier ones, as now there is a much more sexual feel to the scene. The artist is shown in black lingerie, along with a group of girls dressed the same. The dark lace of their underwear is contrasted to their pale skin, and the pretty, girly roses and flowers on the wall in the background.
This is one of the final shots of the video, and show the artist in bed, next to her boyfriend (reference in song 'hope my boyfriend don't mind it'), waking up from the dream in which she 'Kissed A Girl'. This twist at the end makes the video appear comical and emphasizes the fun, playful side of the artist and her music.
Gabriella Cilmi- 'Sweet About Me'.
This is the official video for 'Sweet About Me' by Gabriella Cilmi. The entire video is based in what appears an abandoned waarhouse-type space, with a mixture of performance footage, and snippets of narrative in the same location. There are many close up shots of the instruments, band members, and of the artist herself. This emphasizes the "all about the music" ephos many artists of the Indie genre maintain. There are also close up shots of the artist herself, and what she is wearing, including her shoes, and the multiple necklaces around her neck. The style of items of clothing she is wearing appear to be vintage-inspired, particularly her jewellery, which creates the image that she is individual, and unique, and pays attention to the small details in what she wears. I think this style of jewellery, including necklaces with charms, would be a good thing to use when styling the artist for my music video. Below are some pictures of similar necklaces I found in the online stores for Urban Outfitters and Topshop, which often focus their collections on vintage inspired clothing.
'Tiny Camera Necklace', Urban Outfitters
'Heart in Letter Necklace', Topshop
Alexa Chung.
These are images of TV Presenter & Model Alexa Chung. She also works as a contributing editor for the British version of top fashion Magazine Vogue, a job which she earned after establishing herself as a style icon of the 2000's. Her style is quintessentially British, taking inspiration from and wearing countless pieces of Vintage clothing, and is famous for her quirky and feminine looks. She is a self confessed Indie-addict and is a regular at all the typically Indie music festivals, particularly Glastonbury and Reading- where she was originally scouted as a model. From her style, I think that I could take alot of inspiration from her style, as through the use of vintage and quirky items of clothing, she comes across as an independent, artistic and strong minded woman.
Beyonce- 'Single Ladies'
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This is the offical music video for 'Single Ladies' by Beyonce. Although Beyonce is not even close to the Indie genre, I thought it would be useful to look at more artists in different genres, to see if there were any conventions I could borrow and use in my music video. This video breaks many conventions of music video in general, the cutting rate is not fast, like normally expected, but this is made up for by the fast onscreen action, which is a dance routine the whole way through, the lack of narrative or story line is also apparent in the video, and it is similar from start to finish as there are no plot, costume or location changes within the video at all.
What I can take from this video is how from the way the video is constructed, and the onscreen actual footage, the woman performer (and backing dancers) are all seen as Independent, Strong Minded women (which fits well with the lyrics and overall feel of the song). The target audience for the song would be 'Single Ladies' as the title suggests, as it, at time of release, gained huge popularity as a female anthem, however the target audience for the video could also appeal to men, due to the construction of the sexy, dominant female roles, done through costume, hair & make up, and the use of a location which allows for the characters to be the main focus of attention throughout the entire video.
What I can take from this video is how from the way the video is constructed, and the onscreen actual footage, the woman performer (and backing dancers) are all seen as Independent, Strong Minded women (which fits well with the lyrics and overall feel of the song). The target audience for the song would be 'Single Ladies' as the title suggests, as it, at time of release, gained huge popularity as a female anthem, however the target audience for the video could also appeal to men, due to the construction of the sexy, dominant female roles, done through costume, hair & make up, and the use of a location which allows for the characters to be the main focus of attention throughout the entire video.
Taylor Swift- 'Love Story'.
Here is the video for 'Love Story' by Taylor Swift. Throughout the video, the use of feminine and pastel shades suggest a vulnerability and innocence about the artist, which is reflected in the lyrics throughout the song. There is a strong intertextual reference to Romeo & Juliet by William Shakespeare, which is the part of the song and video which appeals to me the most. By imcorporating this hugely well known play, the artist has widened her target audience into fans of this type of literature who want to experience a modern day version of the story.
She is also made out to be very attractive, which she naturally is, but this is enhanced through the muted colour scheme which personally compliments her complexion, as well as the use of the close up shots of her face, with direct sight lines into the camera, to make the audience feel as if she is singing straight to them. This also widens the potential audience for this video, as female viewers would use the sight line to directly relate to her and her story, putting themselves into her shoes in the narrative aspect of the production, the male viewers however, would see this as a vulnerable and innocent sex appeal, as she appears to be performing directly to them, in a way that younger members would look up to as she appears innocent, but older audience members may view in a more sensual, seductive way.
She is also made out to be very attractive, which she naturally is, but this is enhanced through the muted colour scheme which personally compliments her complexion, as well as the use of the close up shots of her face, with direct sight lines into the camera, to make the audience feel as if she is singing straight to them. This also widens the potential audience for this video, as female viewers would use the sight line to directly relate to her and her story, putting themselves into her shoes in the narrative aspect of the production, the male viewers however, would see this as a vulnerable and innocent sex appeal, as she appears to be performing directly to them, in a way that younger members would look up to as she appears innocent, but older audience members may view in a more sensual, seductive way.
Target Audience for Sarah Holmes.
I have decided that the audience for my video, will be 14 - 25 year olds after looking at typical audiences of similar artists. From looking at these artists, I have decided to target my artist and video at a similar audience to these. The majority of this audience would be young females, those below 18 would respond well to the innocence and youthfulness of the artist, as they appear fun, and reiterate the ephos of 'Girl Power', the older female members of the audience would respond to the more sexual themes in the videos, like I blogged about in 'Katy Perry- I Kissed A Girl' and would pick up on the more grown-up image conventions of the artist. The male members of the audience would also respond to this due to the attractiveness of the artist, and the use of sight lines in the video or the use of voyeurism, as they focus closely on the artist herself and how she could either perform straight to the audience directly, or they could see that she is unaware of their presence, I think that these could work equally as well, and will take this into consideration in my production.
A typical audience member for Sarah Holmes is Amber. Amber is 15 years old and is in year 11 at her school. She enjoys shopping, listening to music, and spending the weekends in the park with her friends, talking about fashion, school, boys and music. She first heard about Sarah Holmes on Myspace Music, where she found Sarah's profile through a link from a friend. She really enjoyed the sound of the music, and thought it was similar to other artists that she likes, including KT Tunstall. Amber's favourite subject at school is art, she enjoys being creative for her education and at home, and like customising her clothes and making jewellery for herself and her friends. Next summer she is attending Reading festival with a group of her friends from school, she likes the relaxed festival culture and is excited for the trip. Amber is also learning how to play acoustic guitar, her older brother has taught her a few songs and chords, but it is something she would like to take more seriously, as so many of her idols play this instrument. When viewing a music video for an artist that she likes, Amber often takes a negotiated or preferred reading, as she takes influences from the artist themselves, and may even make a parody of the video with her friends one weekend.
A typical audience member for Sarah Holmes is Amber. Amber is 15 years old and is in year 11 at her school. She enjoys shopping, listening to music, and spending the weekends in the park with her friends, talking about fashion, school, boys and music. She first heard about Sarah Holmes on Myspace Music, where she found Sarah's profile through a link from a friend. She really enjoyed the sound of the music, and thought it was similar to other artists that she likes, including KT Tunstall. Amber's favourite subject at school is art, she enjoys being creative for her education and at home, and like customising her clothes and making jewellery for herself and her friends. Next summer she is attending Reading festival with a group of her friends from school, she likes the relaxed festival culture and is excited for the trip. Amber is also learning how to play acoustic guitar, her older brother has taught her a few songs and chords, but it is something she would like to take more seriously, as so many of her idols play this instrument. When viewing a music video for an artist that she likes, Amber often takes a negotiated or preferred reading, as she takes influences from the artist themselves, and may even make a parody of the video with her friends one weekend.
Image Analysis- Amy Macdonald.
These images are of singer/songwriter Amy Macdonald. From the clothing choices she (or her stylists) have made, the image created for her is one which takes inspiration from vintage styles, but with a modern edge. Her casual and relaxed hairstyle and make up creates a typical "girl next door" image, and makes her look like someone her target audience can relate to. Her typical fan would be a teenage girl, with aspirations of being like her, and would look up to her as a positive role model. Like the images of male singer/songwriters and artists of the Indie genre (or sub genres) that I have previously studied, the use of vintage inspired pieces allow the artist to appear creative and individual, which reflects the music they make. I think the use of vintage and retro inspired clothing would be an obvious choice to use in my music video, as it is a major convention of artists similar to mine, and emphasizes the uniqueness and creative side of the artist.
KT Tunstall- 'Black Horse & The Cherry Tree'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gK8rHqddU4w&ob=av2n
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Here is the official video for KT Tunstall's 'Black Horse And The Cherry Tree'. Throughout the video we see the artist herself take on different images to create what appears to be a band, but is actually her playing each instrument as a different 'character' or a different part of her image or personality. Like the videos I have looked at before, the making of the music and the instruments play a key role in the making of the video. There are many close up shots of the instruments being played, and they are often a key focus of the shots throughout the entire video. I think from this I need to take this into account, so when I make my video, lots of emphasis is put on the actual music and the instruments themselves.
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(embedding disabled by request)
Here is the official video for KT Tunstall's 'Black Horse And The Cherry Tree'. Throughout the video we see the artist herself take on different images to create what appears to be a band, but is actually her playing each instrument as a different 'character' or a different part of her image or personality. Like the videos I have looked at before, the making of the music and the instruments play a key role in the making of the video. There are many close up shots of the instruments being played, and they are often a key focus of the shots throughout the entire video. I think from this I need to take this into account, so when I make my video, lots of emphasis is put on the actual music and the instruments themselves.
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Sarah Holmes: Similar Artists.
I created this Prezi of similar artists to Sarah Holmes during my original coursework project, using my own knowledge of the genre, Spotify and Youtube to suggest artists simlar to ours. I began with starting points including KT Tunstall, who our artists lists as one of her major influences. I think when we created a Prezi of similar artists before, it gave us a good starting point into our research and planning into the genre, so hopefully this will once again be of use. The artists in this are mainly individual female artists like ours, some are typical of the Indie genre, but many mix conventions from Indie, Alternative, Pop, and Rock genres to create their image and music style.
My Artist: Sarah Holmes.
I originally found Sarah Holmes, a female, Indie Acoustic artist on Myspace Music when scouting for an artist for my original coursework video. I have decided to use the song 'Excuses' which I used before as I have a good understanding of the song and think that I can create a more effective video to go with it. Here are the original emails between my group and Sarah, gaining her permission to use the song for our coursework.
Image Analysis- The Smiths.
The Smiths were a English rock genre band who formed in the 1980's. They, like many modern and classic Indie genre artists, were signed to an Independent record label (Rough Trade Records). From the image above, you can get a sense of their dress code, typically, smart shirts, or t-shirts with skinny-leg trousers, and in this case leather jackets. The glasses worn by front man Morrisey, are very similar to the ones I blogged about previously, when worn by a member of modern band, Two Door Cinema Club in their video for Undercover Martyn. These 'Wayfarer' style glasses are now a typicallly seen to be worn by people who take an interest in Indie music and the culture surrounding it, designer brands such as Rayban are a favourite, but cheaper styles can be picked up from High Street stores which specialise in Indie style clothing such as these from Topman. I think that it is important that when I style my artist for my music video, despite the artist's sex, I look back at classic bands, as well as modern ones, because they often inspire Indie bands nowadays in their clothing choices, and vintage or vintage inspired pieces are very popular with Indie artists and fans.
The Animals & Muse.
The Animals; House of The Rising Sun (original)
Muse; House Of The Rising Sun (cover)
Here is the original video for 'House Of The Rising Sun' by The Animals, and the cover version (not video) by Muse. This song mixes the Indie genre, with a grittier Rock style sound. As you can hear, the bands are very similar sounding, the difference between them being that Muse mix the original song and incorporate their own Alternative style to 'make it their own'. Muse today, are seen as an Alternative Rock band similar to Radiohead, but many people link their slower, grittier, more melodic music to that of Jeff Buckley (who I have previously blogged about). When my final song has been chosen to use in my music video, I think if it is by a male artist, and has a more melodic and deeper style to the upbeat, more Indie Pop genre songs and artists I we have looked at, such as James Morrison and One Night Only, then I could look at The Animals, Muse, Jeff Buckley and other similar artists, such as The Smiths for more inspiration when planning my video.
Muse; House Of The Rising Sun (cover)
Here is the original video for 'House Of The Rising Sun' by The Animals, and the cover version (not video) by Muse. This song mixes the Indie genre, with a grittier Rock style sound. As you can hear, the bands are very similar sounding, the difference between them being that Muse mix the original song and incorporate their own Alternative style to 'make it their own'. Muse today, are seen as an Alternative Rock band similar to Radiohead, but many people link their slower, grittier, more melodic music to that of Jeff Buckley (who I have previously blogged about). When my final song has been chosen to use in my music video, I think if it is by a male artist, and has a more melodic and deeper style to the upbeat, more Indie Pop genre songs and artists I we have looked at, such as James Morrison and One Night Only, then I could look at The Animals, Muse, Jeff Buckley and other similar artists, such as The Smiths for more inspiration when planning my video.
The Animals.
The Animals were a Newcastle based band in the 1960's. They combined classic Indie with Psychadelic Rock and Blues genres. Their most famous song, 'House Of The Rising Sun' has been covered by modern day Indie Rock band 'Muse' and many other Indie genre bands would state The Animals as an inspiration for the music they make. They were signed to Atlantic Records, which now has artists such as Plan B and Paolo Nutini signed to them, who we would class as being similar to our artist. It is clear that the dress codes of modern Indie genre bands that we have blogged previously have been inspired by classic bands like The Animals, for example, in the picture above, the band members are wearing skinny leg, smart, suit style trousers, with smart brogues or Chelsea boots, with shirts and blazers which are very similar to those worn by Mumford & Sons. The difference between the bands we have looked at previously and The Animals is that they have a much softer, upbeat sound, whereas The Animals remain true to the blues genre alot, with a deep and gritty vocal sound, this is predominant in the song 'House Of The Rising Sun'.
Use of Acoustic Instruments.
The use of acoustic instruments in Indie genre (and sub/hybrid genres) are one of the most obvious and widely used conventions. One of the main factors which would determine an artist into the genre or not would be the use of acoustic instruments in the music. Classic Indie artists would typically choose acoustic guitars as their instrument of choice, but more recently, some artists have begun to challenge this with more unusual intruments, which have also helped to determine Indie-Folk as a popular genre.
Mumford & Sons are often seen performing with Banjos, Cellos, Double Basses and percussion intruments when on stage or during recording sessions. Here is a video of them performing 'The Cave' at the 2011 Grammy Awards, which features the use of a Double Bass and a Banjo. This new convention of the genre has developed the existing one of the use of acoustic instruments showing the talent and creativity of the artist.
Jamie Cullum is an artist, who fits into the Indie genre, but is slightly more mainstream due to his popular covers of existing songs. He is a talented piano player and this is often a key feature of his performances. The use of the piano makes use of his skills in performance and creates the image that he is a talented, creative individual. Here is his video for 'Everlasting Love' which featutes sequences from the film 'Bridget Jones' Diary' in which it appeared on the soundtrack. The use of the artist playing the piano, surrounded by an acoustic band reflects the independent and individual conventions of the Indie genre.
YouTube Account.
Here is my Youtube account for my production, where I can upload rough cuts, and my final video.
http://www.youtube.com/user/KarisTabby?feature=mhum
Conventions of Music Video.
Here is a sheet from Class that contains a list of Conventions in Music Videos that I will find useful when planning the details of my production:
Laura Marling- Distribution
Laura Marling is an artist in the Indie/Folk and Folk/Rock genres, and along with Mumford & Sons has paved the way for the Indie Folk subgenre. Both artists have recieved hugely successful reviews within the music industry, and both won Brit Awards in 2011. Laura Marling is signed to two labels, Way Out Records & Virgin.
Way Out Records is a small, London record company, who have produced records for a small number of artists, Laura Marling being their most successful act to date.
Virgin Records is a famous British record label, owned by parent company EMI one of the largest record companies in the world. Famous Indie genre artists signed to Virgin include Jamie T and The Kooks.
It is a common in the Indie genre for artist to be signed to multiple record labels, as Indie began with Independent record labels producing material. Modern Indie artists are often signed to these Independent, small labels at the beginning of their careers, then stay loyal to these companies when they get signed to the larger companies which are more likely to make them famous.
Mumford & Sons- Distribution.
Mumford & Sons are signed to 5 record labels; Gentlemen Of The Road, Island Records (UK), Glassnote Records (US), Dew Process (Australia & New Zealand) and Cooperative Music (Rest of World).
Gentlemen Of The Road is their own record label, through which they gained the record deals with the other labels before their debut album release in October 2009.
Island Records was founded in Jamaica, and primarily run in the UK before being sold out to Universal Records. Similar artists to Mumford & Sons, and our own who are signed to Island Records include; Bombay Bicycle Club, Brandon Flowers, The Fratellis, Keane, and The Killers.
Glassnote Records is an independent record label launched in 2007, based in the US and the majority of acts signed to it are of the Indie Rock and Alternative Rock genres, including; Two Door Cinema Club and The Temper Trap.
Dew Process is another independent record label, based in Queensland, which distributes to Australia & New Zealand.
Gentlemen Of The Road is their own record label, through which they gained the record deals with the other labels before their debut album release in October 2009.
Island Records was founded in Jamaica, and primarily run in the UK before being sold out to Universal Records. Similar artists to Mumford & Sons, and our own who are signed to Island Records include; Bombay Bicycle Club, Brandon Flowers, The Fratellis, Keane, and The Killers.
Glassnote Records is an independent record label launched in 2007, based in the US and the majority of acts signed to it are of the Indie Rock and Alternative Rock genres, including; Two Door Cinema Club and The Temper Trap.
Dew Process is another independent record label, based in Queensland, which distributes to Australia & New Zealand.
Amy Winehouse- 'Rehab'.
(embedding disabled by request)
This is the video for 'Rehab' by Amy Winehouse. Throughout the video, the artist is performing the song, around a large looking house, with people in the background playing a mixture of unusual and acoustic instruments. The Saxophones establish her more into the Jazz genre, but with a modern twist. The artist appears casual throughout the video, almost like this is the norm for her, but maintains a strong image, with an attitude to match. I particularly like that even though she does not play the instruments in the video, she maintains an independent and creative image. I think that I could borrow this idea from this video and genre as it would allow me to achieve a more professional looking video if the actor or actress I choose to play the artist in my video does not play the instrument in real life, if they do not, then the video could lack a look of authenticity.
Duffy- Mercy.
This is the video for 'Mercy' by Duffy.
The video is set in what appears to be a dance hall, with the artist performing the song, whilst people dance around her. I really like the muted colour scheme throughout the video which helps to create an old fashioned, yet timeless feel. I also think the dress code of the artist in this video works very well as it reflects the vintage feel, I think this could be useful when planning my video, as I could look to vintage styles to inspire my artist's look. A convention of the Indie genre that is also apparent in this video is the use of editing, with cuts on the beat of the music. I think this is hugely important in my video as it allows for the musical score to match up to the video well, and so that they link with each other.
The video is set in what appears to be a dance hall, with the artist performing the song, whilst people dance around her. I really like the muted colour scheme throughout the video which helps to create an old fashioned, yet timeless feel. I also think the dress code of the artist in this video works very well as it reflects the vintage feel, I think this could be useful when planning my video, as I could look to vintage styles to inspire my artist's look. A convention of the Indie genre that is also apparent in this video is the use of editing, with cuts on the beat of the music. I think this is hugely important in my video as it allows for the musical score to match up to the video well, and so that they link with each other.
One Night Only- 'Say You Dont Want It'.
This is the video for 'Say You Don't Want It' by Indie Pop band 'One Night Only'.
The video is set in downtown New York, and features the lead singer of the band with his love interest, played by 'Harry Potter' actress Emma Watson. This link to the popular film series would appeal to the audience as they would have grown up reading the books and watching the films, and would also be of a similar age to her and the band members. Although this was an expensive video to create, it maintains a huge convention in Indie music videos that it has an easy to replicate 'low budget' look. This allows for consumers to become producers and take an active role in the music video experience as they could create parodies in similar locations (cities or towns) around the world.
I really like this video and think it is very typical of a video in the Indie genre, as it maintains the 'low budget' look, emphasizes the creativity of the artist, features an intertextual reference to a film series that would be recognised by the target audience, and has a well constructed muted colour scheme throughout.
Target Audience.
I would like to predict that the target audience for my artist is 16-25 year olds, the sex of the artist I choose to use in the video would determine the sex of the audience targetted, for example, a male artist would be targetted at male audience members predominantly, but their sex appeal could be picked up on, and they could then be directed at female audience members, if the artist was female, the target audience would be mainly females, as a convention of the Indie genre for femal artists is that they appear independent and strong minded, a trait which would appeal more to a femal audience, as male audience members may have a pre determined stereotypical view of females being vulnerable. They would also enjoy going to music festivals and local gigs, they are often students or people who work in the creative industry, the music appeals to female members of the audience due to the image and sex appeal of the artist, and to the male members as they appreciate the technical side to the music and its sound.
They discover new music and bands on the radio, at festivals, on tv shows such as Jools Holland, as opposed to MTV, aswell as on the music download service iTunes, online on Youtube or Myspace and through word of mouth from friends.
They discover new music and bands on the radio, at festivals, on tv shows such as Jools Holland, as opposed to MTV, aswell as on the music download service iTunes, online on Youtube or Myspace and through word of mouth from friends.
The artist I choose will also be similar to those famous for playing at music festivals, such as Mumford & Sons who in the two years since their discovery, have played at Glastonbury, Reading and Hop Farm and Kings of Leon who played at V Festival in 2010. The artist would be discovered by the audience through playing at lots of local gigs and open mic nights, but would not sound out of place on a 'new discovery' music section on Jools Holland's late night music show, or on local or national radio stations.
Typical Audience Members: Paolo Nutini, KT Tunstall And Mumford & Sons.
Here are some typical audience member profiles for fans of Paolo Nutini, KT Tunstall and
Paolo Nutini.
Paddy is a 17 year old sixth form student who appreciates good music, but cannot play an instrument himself. He loves artists such as Paolo Nutini and John Mayer, and really admires their creativity and talent, and often copies and emulates their style. He enjoys partying with his friends at weekends, and is a keen Web 2.0 user, frequently updating his Facebook and Twitter feeds.
In the future Paddy would like to study Journalism, particularly for Radio, and is a huge fan of Radio presenter Nick Grimshaw, as he is a competent music analyst. After he completes his A Levels, he plans to attend a local university and live from home, and hopes to gain work experience in local radio stations, including the one at the hospital near his house.
KT Tunstall.
Lily is a 20 year old shop assistant in a large fashion store. She loves clothing, and is famous amongst her large friendship group for her creative ability to competently mix high street and vintage clothing to give her a really individual and artistic look. She also runs a small, bespoke millinery company in the evenings, and when not at work, she attends trade shows, fairs and markets to sell her hats, which she makes from vintage materials sourced on the internet and in various haberdashery stores.
She likes KT Tunstall as she thinks they are fairly similar, Lily is single and despite pressure from her friends, claims she is happy on her own, and does not need a man to make her happy. She believes they are both strong minded women, who succeed at their chosen careers. She has seen KT in concert a few times with some of her friends, and really admires the success that she has had from her artistic talents.
Mumford & Sons.
Joe is a 19 year old student who works part time in a pub during the evenings. He walks to work most nights as it is just around the corner from his student flat, which he shares with three of his male friends and one of their girlfriends.
He often takes nights off work to attend local gigs and open mic nights at other pubs. He either walks there with his friends or gets a night bus as he never bothered learning to drive when he was at school.
Joe attended both Glastonbury and Reading festival last year and lived off beans on toast for a good few weeks afterwards after spending his student loan on tickets (as well as a bit of extra funding from his mum).
After hearing some Mumford & Sons on the radio at work, and seeing them at Glastonbury, he decided to download their album from iTunes. He listens to his iPod often, on his way to lectures, work, and to his friends houses. His 'most listened to' playlist features Mumford & Sons, One Night Only and The Maccabees. Others include Bob Dylan, Jeff Buckley, Marc Bolan and Kings of Leon, despite thinking 'Sex on Fire' is overplayed, he still secretly listens to it.
He often takes nights off work to attend local gigs and open mic nights at other pubs. He either walks there with his friends or gets a night bus as he never bothered learning to drive when he was at school.
Joe attended both Glastonbury and Reading festival last year and lived off beans on toast for a good few weeks afterwards after spending his student loan on tickets (as well as a bit of extra funding from his mum).
After hearing some Mumford & Sons on the radio at work, and seeing them at Glastonbury, he decided to download their album from iTunes. He listens to his iPod often, on his way to lectures, work, and to his friends houses. His 'most listened to' playlist features Mumford & Sons, One Night Only and The Maccabees. Others include Bob Dylan, Jeff Buckley, Marc Bolan and Kings of Leon, despite thinking 'Sex on Fire' is overplayed, he still secretly listens to it.
Radio Stations & Listener Profiles.
Radio Plays are a fast way to get an artist recognised in the music industry, and their popularity normally increases hugely once they have had their material played on the radio. Although extremely difficult, it can fast track a band or artist to success, particularly if the song is played on a large, national radio station. Here are some listener profiles of radio stations in the UK. These could be taken into consideration when promoting the artist and their material, as the target audience of the artist could be match to a listener profile of a radio station to then have the song played on, maximising popularity of the artist.
Heart
Heart's core audience are aged between 25-44. The Heart Network now consists of 18 stations across the UK, reaching more than 7.3 million people every week.
Heart's core audience are aged between 25-44. The Heart Network now consists of 18 stations across the UK, reaching more than 7.3 million people every week.
XFM
Positioned at the leading edge of mainstream taste, Xfm’s 11-year heritage gives it a unique place in music culture.
Reaching well over 800,000 listeners every week across the UK, Xfm is a music-centric national brand, delivered locally.
Positioned at the leading edge of mainstream taste, Xfm’s 11-year heritage gives it a unique place in music culture.
Reaching well over 800,000 listeners every week across the UK, Xfm is a music-centric national brand, delivered locally.
Galaxy
Galaxy is an accessible, credible and aspirational brand for people who love music.
Reaching over 3.9 million listeners every week, Galaxy is a consistent national proposition, delivered locally.
The Galaxy and Choice product consists of evolving mainstream music supported by entertaining, real and relatable presenters.
Galaxy is an accessible, credible and aspirational brand for people who love music.
Reaching over 3.9 million listeners every week, Galaxy is a consistent national proposition, delivered locally.
The Galaxy and Choice product consists of evolving mainstream music supported by entertaining, real and relatable presenters.
Adele- Someone Like You.
This is a video of Adele peforming 'Someone Like You' on 'Later Live with Jools Holland' which is a popular TV show for Indie and Alternative artists to perform on.
There is not a specific music video for this song, but I personally think that this video of the performance in a way, creates an effective and suitable video for the song. The isolation of the artist on the stage reflects the lyrics of her being alone, whilst her ex-lover has moved on and married someone else. I think that the simplicity of the stage set up, with simply the artist herself, and one man playing a piano reflects the starkness and simplicity of the song. I think that once I have chosen a song to make my music video for, I need to look at how I can make sure the video is a true reflection of the song, so the two aspects match well, and create a strong overall product.
Paolo Nutini- 'New Shoes'.
This is the video for 'New Shoes' by Indie artist Paolo Nutini.
The video throughout features literal footage to match the lyrics, such as 'I made my way to the kitchen' where the artist is seen onscreen doing just that. I really like the movement within this video, from the walking through the street line of narrative, to the panning shots of the artist in the kitchen, which are both matched to the music video convention of cutting the takes on the beat. I think this is a typical Indie genre video also, due to the 'low budget' look the product has, which is popular in videos of this genre. I think from this, I could gain inspiration to consider using literal lyrics when I have chosen my song, as I think it emphasizes the cheekiness and fun side to the artist, and promotes the message that they do not take themselves too seriously.
Jeff Buckley.
Jeff Buckley (1966-1997) was an American Singer Song-Writer, and is often seen as an inspiration to modern day artists of the Indie Genre. It is easy to see why these connections are made due to the individuality, creativity and uniqueness he epitomised, along with being an extremely skilled Song-Writer and Guitarist, which nowadays are conventions of the Indie genre.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3-_DbEYe7A&ob=av2n
Jeff Buckley- Hallelujah.
(embedding disabled by request)
This video is not disimilar in ways to Mumford & Sons- Little Lion Man, which I looked at previously. The main focus of the video is the artist himself, in the recording studio, performing the song to what appears to be just himself. The colours are limited sepia hues, with no distractions of any props, special costume, or busy lighting. There is no sub-plot or seperate storyline to the video other than him recording the song. All of these aspects, like in the Mumford & Sons video add up to create and portray the message that this artist is "all about the music". This means there is no need for any distractions as it would take focus away from the song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAAuBkLAYMQ&feature=channel
Jeff Buckley- Grace.
(embedding disabled by request)
This video is similar to that of Hallelujah, but is not quite as basic. There are shots of the setting, and what is surrounding the artist and his band, but the majority are still close up shots of them playing the instruments and singing. Once again, the colours used are dark, muted tones, the costumes are very casual, and natural looking, and lighting is low-key. This emphasizes the music, and the song which is being performed to enable the audience to not become distracted in what is going on in the video, so that they focus on the music and lyrics.
From watching these videos of Jeff Buckley, and previously of Mumford & Sons, it is apparent that they are focussed on their music and their talent, as their videos feature lots of close-up shots of them playing their instruments, singing and making the music. It appears obvious that the muted tones, casual costumes, low key lighting and focus on the artist are strong conventions used in these videos. I think that these could inspire us to use conventions such as these in our coursework as we are looking into how artists of this genre typically portray to the audience the message that they "are all about the music" and these conventions help to emphasize this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3-_DbEYe7A&ob=av2n
Jeff Buckley- Hallelujah.
(embedding disabled by request)
This video is not disimilar in ways to Mumford & Sons- Little Lion Man, which I looked at previously. The main focus of the video is the artist himself, in the recording studio, performing the song to what appears to be just himself. The colours are limited sepia hues, with no distractions of any props, special costume, or busy lighting. There is no sub-plot or seperate storyline to the video other than him recording the song. All of these aspects, like in the Mumford & Sons video add up to create and portray the message that this artist is "all about the music". This means there is no need for any distractions as it would take focus away from the song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAAuBkLAYMQ&feature=channel
Jeff Buckley- Grace.
(embedding disabled by request)
This video is similar to that of Hallelujah, but is not quite as basic. There are shots of the setting, and what is surrounding the artist and his band, but the majority are still close up shots of them playing the instruments and singing. Once again, the colours used are dark, muted tones, the costumes are very casual, and natural looking, and lighting is low-key. This emphasizes the music, and the song which is being performed to enable the audience to not become distracted in what is going on in the video, so that they focus on the music and lyrics.
From watching these videos of Jeff Buckley, and previously of Mumford & Sons, it is apparent that they are focussed on their music and their talent, as their videos feature lots of close-up shots of them playing their instruments, singing and making the music. It appears obvious that the muted tones, casual costumes, low key lighting and focus on the artist are strong conventions used in these videos. I think that these could inspire us to use conventions such as these in our coursework as we are looking into how artists of this genre typically portray to the audience the message that they "are all about the music" and these conventions help to emphasize this.
Female Indie Artist Dress Codes.
Female artists of the Indie genre often stick to the convention of smart-casual clothing with a creative spin. This, like with the Male artists who do the same, gives an impression to the audience that they are not overly desirable, but just 'average' people, who come across friendly and genuine and do not take themselves too seriously. They also take huge inspiration from vintage clothing, and if not wearing genuine vintage, they are often seen wearing designer or high street fashions that look timeless and classic. A good example of this is Laura Marling, she is often pictured on and off stage wearing vintage clothing, and has a hairstyle which was made popular in the 1960's by fashion icon and supermodel, Twiggy. Her image is constructed to emphasize her creativity and to look 'non constructed' so her image is easy to replicate by her fans. Popular designer brands for female Indie artists are timeless and classic brands such as Chanel and Lucy In Disguise (owned by artist Lily Allen. They also are often pictured in High Street clothing, normally from more expensive stores such as Topshop and Levi Strauss Denim. Vintage stores popular with these artists include Rokit and Beyond Retro in London.
Laura Marling.
Twiggy Lawson.
Alexa Chung in Chanel.
Male Indie Dress Codes.
Artists of the Indie genre typically are seen in smart-casual clothing with individual twists. This gives the audience the impression the artists are 'normal' people, who do not take themselves too seriously. Inspiration for the clothing choices often comes from vintage styles as opposed to mainstream fashion. For example, the members of Mumford & Sons dress in styles not disimilar to what ne would expect from English Country Gentlemen, including Tweed blazers, braces and leather brogues. Their image is constructed in this way to emphasize their individuality and creativity, which mirrors their music. Stereotypically, members of Indie bands, such as The Kooks, take inspiration in fashion from bands such as The Kinks, and their style of clothing comes from designer brands such as Ralph Lauren, Paul Smith, and Rayban sunglasses, high street stores like Topman and vintage stores, like the famous Rokit and Beyond Retro in London.
The Kinks
The Kooks in Buenos Aires
Paul Smith. Autumn/Winter Collection 2010.
What do an audience expect from a Music Video?
I asked family & friends what the main things they would say that they expected from a Music Video. Here are some of the ideas and things that they said that I think could be useful in my production:
- Performance from the artist
- Narrative/ Story Line to accompany the song
- An insight to the artist's life
- Back Stage or On Stage footage of a gig/concert
- The artist not being aware they are being filmed
Mumford & Sons- 'Little Lion Man'
The entire video is set in an empty auditorium with the band on stage, perfoming to themselves. The main focuses of the video are the lighting and the music itself. The lighting is simple strings of bulbs hanging across the room. There are lots of close up shots of the instruments and band members singing. The whole thing is very simple including the colour scheme and decor it appears to be very muted and dull looking. All of these things add together to create and portray the message to the audience that the band is very serious about and interested in their music and what they can do. There are no distractions away from them performing and the close up shots of them producing the music emphasizes the sound and the fact they are there for the music and no other reason. This would appeal to the audience as they typically appreciate the technical side and sound of the music, as opposed to being fixated on the artists themselves and their look.
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